The present invention firstly relates to a method for the reproduction of hair. The invention also relates to a method for culturing hair follicle cells from anagenetic hairs in the anagen phase, to a medium that is highly suitable for culturing hair follicle cells, to a method for the preparation of such a medium and to a precursor medium.
A method for the reproduction of hair is disclosed in European Patent Application 0 236 014 in which epidermal follicle cells of the desired hair type are removed from the scalp skin of a patient. The epidermal follicle cells are then cultured in a culture medium which preferably contains growth factors. In a subsequent step, an opening is made in the epidermis of the patient""s scalp and, via said opening, the cultured epidermal follicle cells are introduced into the dermis next to the epidermis. The disadvantage of this method is that it comprises an invasive method and that the cells are not placed directionally, as a result of which many cells are necessary and the probability of regeneration of hair is much lower. In this method, use is also not made of autologous (cultured) CD34+ cells.
The essential growth structures of hair are the so-called hair follicles, which are present in the skin. The hair follicle cells or keratinocytes reproduce from these hair follicles and during their path to the skin surface the cytoplasm of said cells is converted by a large number of complex processes into the tough and resilient material which is known as hair. The growth cycle of hair can be subdivided into three phases: the anagen phase or growth phase, the catagen phase or transitory phase and the telogen phase or dying phase. The hair follicle is unique because of the cyclic nature of hair formation and hair growth. Specifically, the hair follicle is the only part of the body to have a growth nucleus, from which new hairs can be produced after removal of the old hair.
It is known that hair follicle cells from plucked human hair can be cultured. It is also known that it is possible using such cultured cells to form a differentiated epidermis or a fully developed epidermis, both in vitro and in vivo. Cultured hair follicle cells from mice can stimulate hair growth when said cells are implanted into test animals. However, to date it has not proved possible to achieve new hair growth in humans in those locations where there is undesirably no (longer any) hair with the aid of cultured autologous hair follicle cells.
People usually find baldness to be undesirable from the cosmetic and aesthetic standpoint. However, baldness frequently occurs and it is a known phenomenon that in particular men also become balder as they got older. This form of baldness is known as alopecia androgenetica. To date it is not precisely known why certain parts of the scalp are susceptible to this alopecia androgenetica and other parts are not. However, with women as well it regularly occurs that the hair becomes thinner and even threatens to largely disappear. For women in particular this is highly undesirable from the cosmetic and aesthetic standpoint.
A known technique for combatting baldness is to transplant hair. With this procedure hair from a donor region covered in hair, which frequently is located on the back of the head, is removed, including the skin, and cut into small pieces, which usually then have only one to three hairs. These pieces are then implanted in the bald region (receptor region). A major disadvantage of this method is that it is at the cost or the donor region. Specifically, hair is removed from this region and this hair does not return again. The transplantation technique therefore offers limited possibilities.
The aim of the present invention is to provide a technique with the aid of which bald patches can be provided with hair again, but which does not have the disadvantages of hair transplantation which have been outlined above. A further aim or the invention is to provide a method with which new hair growth on bald patches can be achieved in humans with the aid of cultured hair follicle cells. A further aim of the invention is to provide a method which is relatively simple to carry out.
Said aims are achieved with the method according to the invention, wherein hair is, as it were, reproduced. Specifically, according to the invention the hair is removed from a donor region in such a way that new hairs come back in its place whilst new hair follicle cells are cultured from the hairs removed, from which cells, in turn, new hair can form.